Fall 2018

Course Description: What can you do with a major in political science? In this course you'll network with a series of IU Poli Sci alums who have careers in law, government, business, nonprofits, research institutes, international service, education, and other fields. You'll learn what it takes to get these jobs, and you'll have a chance to talk with each of these professionals and get their advice. You'll also find out how to use on-campus opportunities to gain career-relevant experience, write (or rewrite) a resume' and find out how to excel in an interview. (1 credit, graded pass/fail) Open to: Political Science majors and those considering majoring or minoring in political science.

Course Description: Politics is the study and practice of the decision-making process involved in managing a state or a government. It deals with "who gets what, when and how" or "who could do what to whom," to use celebrated phrases. Because political relations involve power and authority, politics and controversy go hand in hand, either overtly or covertly. This course will explore several controversies that have permeated American politics, ranging from contentions about the rationale behind the American political system (motivations of the Founding Fathers, the Electoral College, redistricting) through disagreements over the essence of public policies (death penalty, the drinking age, healthcare) to debates about civil rights and liberties (abortion, freedom of expression, surveillance). We will focus on what types of arguments have been used to endorse/reject specific views and how arguments in favor of/against these views have been produced. The goal of the course is thus two-fold: to examine key debates present in American politics and to appreciate the art of making effective political arguments.

Course Description: Politics is the study and practice of the decision-making process involved in managing a state or a government. It deals with "who gets what, when and how" or "who could do what to whom," to use celebrated phrases. Because political relations involve power and authority, politics and controversy go hand in hand, either overtly or covertly. This course will explore several controversies that have permeated American politics, ranging from contentions about the rationale behind the American political system (motivations of the Founding Fathers, the Electoral College, redistricting) through disagreements over the essence of public policies (death penalty, the drinking age, healthcare) to debates about civil rights and liberties (abortion, freedom of expression, surveillance). We will focus on what types of arguments have been used to endorse/reject specific views and how arguments in favor of/against these views have been produced. The goal of the course is thus two-fold: to examine key debates present in American politics and to appreciate the art of making effective political arguments.

Course Description: It's said to be a curse to wish that someone "live in interesting times." Could it also be a blessing?
We are certainly living in interesting times in American politics today -- a time of demographic upheaval, partisan polarization, and a routine shattering of the norms that support American democratic institutions. If there is one enduring theme it is political change -- some people aggressively pursuing change and other people doing everything they can to hold it back. No wonder we live in daily upheaval -- it's the political equivalent of a cold front hitting a warm front -- a political storm of dramatic proportions.
In this section of Y103, Introduction to American Politics, we will explore the moment in which we live and use it as a lens for understanding what politics is, what it means to live in a democracy and be a democratic citizen, how our mediated lives (consider what life would be like without social or traditional media and you'll get a sense of what "a mediated life" means) how the institutions of American democracy function (and what happens when they don't), and how the times we live in have changed the way we organize, work together (or don't) and otherwise attempt to live in harmony in a world that is too small and with resources that are far too scarce for all of us to get what we want all the time.
Grades in Y103 are based on five exams -- your best counts for 30% of your final grade, your worst counts for 10%, and the others count for 20% each. You have a required textbook and class attendance is strongly encouraged, and occasionally enforced (with extra credit given if you are there on the days I decide to check.)

Course Description: It's said to be a curse to wish that someone "live in interesting times." Could it also be a blessing?
We are certainly living in interesting times in American politics today -- a time of demographic upheaval, partisan polarization, and a routine shattering of the norms that support American democratic institutions. If there is one enduring theme it is political change -- some people aggressively pursuing change and other people doing everything they can to hold it back. No wonder we live in daily upheaval -- it's the political equivalent of a cold front hitting a warm front -- a political storm of dramatic proportions.
In this section of Y103, Introduction to American Politics, we will explore the moment in which we live and use it as a lens for understanding what politics is, what it means to live in a democracy and be a democratic citizen, how our mediated lives (consider what life would be like without social or traditional media and you'll get a sense of what "a mediated life" means) how the institutions of American democracy function (and what happens when they don't), and how the times we live in have changed the way we organize, work together (or don't) and otherwise attempt to live in harmony in a world that is too small and with resources that are far too scarce for all of us to get what we want all the time.
Grades in Y103 are based on five exams -- your best counts for 30% of your final grade, your worst counts for 10%, and the others count for 20% each. You have a required textbook and class attendance is strongly encouraged, and occasionally enforced (with extra credit given if you are there on the days I decide to check.)

Course Description: Introduction to American Politics for International Students
[Note: this class is for international students only. If you are an American student, there are two other sections you can enroll in. You will not be given credit for this one.]
It can be hard to live in a culture other than the one you were raised in, and harder still to understand things that natives to that culture seem to know just by virtue of being born there.
Government can be especially hard to understand, since all of us start being socialized to become good and patriotic members of society from a very young age. Most college classes in American politics assume you have been taught about American government since you were in grade school.
This class is for those who have not been. We explore the values, assumptions and norms of American democracy that most American citizens know without knowing they know them. We look at where the American political system came from, how it works, and what today's American politics is all about. We use a text that is designed to leave us time for discussion and comparison with your home countries.
Grades in Y103 are based on five exams -- your best counts for 30% of your final grade, your worst counts for 10%, and the others count for 20% each. You have a required textbook and class attendance is strongly encouraged. There is extra credit available in the form of a short paper comparing American politics and politics in your home country.

Course Description: Is there a moral basis to politics? If so, what is it? In this course, we will read some of the greatest works in political philosophy -- itself a branch of moral philosophy -- in order to help us come to terms with some basic problems in the study of politics. We will organize the course around four central questions: 1) Why obey the law? 2) What makes government legitimate? 3) Which morality binds political actors? 4) How should we respond to unjust government? Throughout the course, we will use canonical texts to try to elucidate contemporary political problems. We will also use contemporary political problems to focus our readings of the classic works. Because this is an introductory course in political science, the format is designed to acquaint students with how political theorists study politics. In the weekly lectures, you will have the chance to become familiar with important political arguments presented in canonical texts. In the weekly workshops, we will focus on the methods of political theory: how do political theorists read, analyze, and write?

Course Description: Around the globe, many countries, even democracies, are experiencing crisis and instability. In this class, we will explore the roots crises by looking at the intersection between politics and economics in different types of political regimes, from totalitarianism to liberal democracy. We will study the rise of new political systems such as authoritarian capitalism (China and Russia), kleptocracies (rule by thieves), and theocracies (rule by religion) to understand when citizens support governments that violate political and civil rights or ignore their demands.

Course Description: This is an introductory course on international politics and the relations in the global political system. The purpose of this course is to systematically study international interactions between actors with different interests and ideas. In this course we will explore topics, encounter puzzles, examine theories, and evaluate evidence to gain a greater understanding of world politics. The overarching goal of the course is to understand how the contemporary global political system originated, and what historical processes drove its development and change. We will focus on analyzing global politics as one system that is comprised of three interrelated subsystems: the global security subsystem, the global exchange subsystem, and the global development subsystem. While these distinctions will structure the course, we will consider each of them within the context of the others. For example, we will seek to understand how global trade affects security (and vice versa). We will consider how cross-national financial flows enhance or inhibit economic development in less developed countries. In each of these areas we will consider how the present system was created, how it has changed, and how it may change in the future.

Course Description: The course will examine selections from key works that shed light on the nature of leadership in public and political life. The course includes a wide variety of texts from several disciplines (political science, philosophy, history, and religion/theology) and combines theory and practice, historical and contemporary examples of successful leadership. Among the texts that we will examine are selections from Plutarch's The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, Cicero's On Duties, Machiavelli's The Prince, Edmund Burke's and Abraham Lincoln's Speeches. Gary Wills' Certain Trumpets: The Call of Leaders and Stephen Skowronek's The Politics Presidents Make: Leadership from John Adams to George Bush will serve as our textbooks.
The course focuses on key topics and concepts such as morality and politics, power, laws and constitutions, democracy, justice, freedom, free speech, and the problem of "dirty hands" in politics. The main questions we will explore are: What is the role of leadership in promoting political reform, and preserving and maintaining existing laws and institutions? What is the role of a political leader under a constitutional government bound by laws and limited by the separation of powers? What are the limitations imposed upon leadership by historical circumstances, culture, and economic interests?
The class will use a combination of lecture, discussions, and group assignments. The requirements include a mid-term and final exam, several quizzes, and required class discussions on specific themes announced in the syllabus. The final exam will be a group project. Students will be asked to evaluate, compare, and analyze different aspects of leadership and reflect on how the concept itself changes in different social, historical, and political contexts.

Course Description: Politics is at heart a problem of social cooperation. In the face of conflicting interests and scarce resources, humans create institutions to foster cooperation and limit conflict. Institutions are not just formal structures - say, Congress. Instead, institutions pervade our lives as humans, and range from family chores to the United Nations. Understanding institutions is therefore a necessary step in understanding politics and political behavior. This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental analytical tools to understand how institutions arise, survive, and collapse. But this course also aims at harnessing students' creativity in rethinking, and redesigning existing institutions. The requirements for the course include, but are not limited to: active participation and a short research paper. The course has no prerequisites.

Course Description: This course focuses on the question of how political science is done. We will walk through the frameworks guiding our thinking about politics and review descriptive, experimental, and observational approaches to research. Students will learn how to evaluate normative and empirical claims and practice constructing research questions and hypotheses. We will also consider the challenges of interpreting data and making inferences about politics.

Course Description: Law is defined as rules of conduct that govern a society. In a democratic society, law serves as a guarantee of governmental accountability and social rights. Specifically, law is intended to assure that no person or branch of government may rise above rules made by elected public officials, that the rights of citizens are protected from arbitrary use of power, and that rules of societal conduct are clear, fairly enforced, and guarantee predictability as to how a society functions. The expression "the rule of law" (or "everyone is subject to the law") is often used to encapsulate the essence of this set of principles. In brief, the rule of law is said to be a foundation for both order and liberties.
We will examine this credo through three lenses.
(1) Origins of law and formulations of the rule of law. How did law come about? How was the concept of the rule of law established and formalized? What are the main theories of law and the rule of law in circulation today?
(2) The United States court system and its highest judicial authority, the Supreme Court. How is the court system organized? What is the relation between the courts on and between state and federal levels? What is the role of the Supreme Court in American politics? What factors affect decisions made by the Supreme Court Justices?
(3) The international context of law. What is the relation between domestic and international law? Can principles of the rule of law govern relations among nation states? Is it possible to have a global system of law?
The implicit goal of this course is also to reflect on a more pointed question: Is law neutral and objective or is law like a spider web through which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught?

Course Description: Nature and justifications for democratic politics and the problems confronting democracy today. Demise of liberalism in America; rise of identity politics and its significance; racial inequality and the problems of deliberative democracy; problems of political alienation and participation.

Course Description: Trying to make sense of the confusing --and sometimes bewildering-- world of political discourse? For example, what in fact makes a "liberal" liberal, or a "conservative" conservative? Or how "anarchists" or "socialists" think? Why neither experts nor pundits can decide if President Trump is a "conservative," "populist," or something else?
This course should help. After briefly discussing the term "ideology," the course examines those political ideologies that continue to shape political experience worldwide: anarchism, conservatism, environmentalism, feminism, liberalism, nationalism, populism, and socialism.
There are no course prerequisites, but students should be prepared to read a range of provocative texts and writers, and be ready to discuss them in class and write about them. By the course's conclusion, students can expect to have gained familiarity with the world's most significant contributions to political ideas or "ideology."

Course Description: The Constitution and the decisions of Supreme Court justices who interpret it have defined the contours of government power in the United States for over 200 years. As we will see, however, the precise scope and nature of that power is not always clear. In this course we will examine the constitutional powers of our national institutions -- the United States judicial, legislative, and executive branches. We will also look at how our constitutional structure limits state and federal government actors. Finally, we will consider how some of the specific tools the United States government has to address national problems have evolved over time through Supreme Court decision-making.

Course Description: In these politically charged times, questions of environmental quality have become hotly debated. How much clean air and clean water do we need, and what are we willing to pay in taxes in order to get them? Is global climate change a reality or a partisan hoax? If we object to paying $4 for a gallon of gas, is the answer to drill for more oil under American lands and waters or to make a serious effort to find alternative energy sources? This course will examine all of these questions, focusing in particular on how the American political system leads us to the policies we get. Any changes in current environmental policy will be made only by people who understand how the existing system works and what types of change are feasible. Students will read Walter A. Rosenbaum's Environmental Politics and Policy and several chapters from other books on e-reserves. Each class member will investigate the politics of a local environmental issue and write a paper analyzing it from the perspective of the major concepts of the course.

Course Description: Political psychology focuses on how psychological concepts and theories help us understand how people view and interpret political events and sometimes act in the political arena. We will begin the course by examining the basic concepts used in the study of political psychology including attitudes, beliefs and cognition. We will then focus on the main areas of research in political psychology including theories of personality, group dynamics, and individual decision making. Our primary focus will be on the psychological underpinnings of the decisions and actions of political elites, specifically American Presidents. As the most important political office not just in the United States but today in the entire world, it is not surprising that the study of the presidency has attracted the attention of political psychologists. We shall see how they have used psychological models to explain presidential successes and failures and current attempts to provide psychological profiles of presidential candidates. Our ultimate objective is to assess the extent to which presidents' psychological backgrounds and makeup affect their political beliefs and actions.
This is a second eight weeks course so it is crucial that students attend class regularly. The course requirements consist of two essay-type exams plus several short papers. The class includes opportunities for group work and class discussion.

Course Description: Democracy is generally understood to be the basis of the American political system, with elections serving as the primary link between citizens and the representation they receive. Yet many of us stay home on election day, casual observers decry partisan politics, and polling reveals few Americans feel well represented by Congress. In this course, we will explore features of American electoral politics through three central questions, each addressing the points made above: Why do we vote? What drives us to vote for one candidate over another? When do our political opinions impact public policy? While we will emphasize the many answers political science provides, we will also pay attention to the way campaigns perceive voters, and how data journalism and data analysis can help us understand election results. Most of the course will focus on recent and upcoming presidential and congressional elections, including Donald Trump's election in 2016 and the 2018 midterm elections. The end goal of the course is to move beyond an us vs. them understanding of elections, and instead see how a scientific understanding of the electoral process can help explain the politics of today.

Course Description: This course will analyze the origins, development, and operations of the American presidency. Topics will include presidential elections, the interaction between the President and Congress, the interaction between the President and the judiciary, Presidential policymaking, and the President's influence over public opinion. At the end of this course students will have a better appreciation and understanding of political science concepts, theories, and methodologies and be able to apply them to contemporary political events.

Course Description: Edmund Burke asserts in The Sublime and The Beautiful, "No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear." Yet, the media and political mobilizers often seek to garner support and encourage participation by pointing to the looming catastrophe at hand, often triggering a sense of urgency. What kinds of dilemmas do constant fear tactics pose to the health of American democracy? This course examines the role of whistleblowers in American politics, with a critical lens on the political psychology behind persuasive (and potentially problematic) communication strategies exercised by the media and political elites. Topics vary and may include social movements, public opinion, identity politics, campaign tactics and the politics of representation. With a particular focus on race and ethnicity, we will examine the ways in which the media impact the civic engagement of groups in the United States as well as the discourse surrounding immigration, healthcare, crime and campaigns. Students will practice analyzing contemporary campaign coverage, interpreting data from recent surveys on social and political attitudes and they will design an original content analysis based on a topic of their choice.

Course Description: This course provides an overview of China's political system. We will begin with a brief historical overview of China's political development from 1949 to the present. The remainder of the course will examine the key challenges facing the current generation of CCP leadership, such as economic reforms, regime stability, and political reform. Students will also be familiarized with prominent theories of authoritarian politics. Among other topics, we will examine: factionalism, power- sharing, and political purges; corruption; avenues for political participation and representation; public opinion; protest movements and dissidents; co-optation of ethnic minorities; and media and internet control.

Course Description: Europe is adrift. Immigration fears have given rise to new and radical political parties competing on the political scene. The economic crisis refuses to go away. The forces of globalization and Europeanization have called into question what it means to be a sovereign nation-state. How did these "rich" and long-standing democracies find themselves in such a bind? This course attempts to understand these and other developments in European politics. We will make a conscious effort to study European democracies by comparing structures, processes, and policies across countries to highlight similarities and differences. While we will cover delve a bit deeper into the politics, governments, and policies of three large European democracies, Britain, France, and Germany. Attention will also be given to politics in Italy and Spain, and to the interaction between individual nation-states and the European Union.

Course Description: This course introduces you to the interaction among people, governments and outside powers in the greater Middle East and North Africa--a vast and complex area that stretches from Morocco to Afghanistan and from Turkey to the Sudan. Topics addressed include many of the following: Background (geography, history, culture and religion); the colonial legacy; the Cold War and post-Cold War eras; the role of resources such as oil; OPEC; the role of non-state organizations; gender issues; the role of identity and ideology; role of diasporas; the Arab-Israeli conflict; Zionism and the Palestinian predicament; the Iraq-Iran War; the Gulf Wars; weapons of mass destruction and other tools for the projection of power in the region; transnational movements; international dimensions of religion, ethnicity, and civil wars; state and religion in the Middle East; security issues; wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the crisis over Iran's nuclear program; and the Arab Spring.

Course Description: The course examines Nazi Germany's systematic attempt to exterminate the Jews of Europe and other "undesirable" populations during the Second World War. The focus is on the perpetrators of the crimes, on the victims and intended victims, and on the local and international bystanders.
The first part of the course centers on the ideological arguments and political actions concerning the "Jewish Question" and "life unworthy," and the evolution of decisions towards the Final Solution. The second part addresses the question of political responses to the annihilation by perpetrators, victims, and bystanders, as well as the issue of responsibility, domestic and international. The final section deals with the legacy of the Holocaust on post-war political world and its impact on humanity.
The content of the course presents each of us with an emotional, painful experience that must be harnessed for reasoned understanding. To that end, we will use a variety of sources, academic studies and survivors' testimonies, documentary and fictional accounts, films and poems. Class requirements include exams, in-class quizzes, and assignments that go beyond the typical to personalize the issues through reaction essays or first-person responses.

Course Description: The Government and Politics of South Asia.
Interested in studying the politics of India, the world's largest democracy? How do you conduct elections in a country with relatively low levels of literacy and still see electoral turnouts higher than those in the United States? Ever wondered why two countries, India and Pakistan, which both emerged from the collapse of the British Indian Empire, went in very different political directions (one consolidated democracy and the other quickly became a military dictatorship for years to come) after they obtained independence in 1947? Why do ethnic groups who are markedly similar, Sinahalese and Tamils, but speak different languages could engage in mass ethnic violence and civil war? How has Bangladesh, which the former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, described as a "basket case" managed to achieve higher human development indicators (health care, maternal mortality, child welfare) than its far more prosperous neighbor, India? These are some of the questions that we plan to explore in this course which focuses on the politics of a fifth of humanity.

Course Description: Y360/H304 US Foreign Policy in the Nuclear Age
Is war with a nuclear-armed North Korea on the horizon? Does the Iran Deal serve the interests of the U.S. and its allies? Will Russia soon have an "invincible" nuclear weapon, as President Putin claims? Contrary to once widely held expectations, the end of the Cold War has not eliminated the threat to national and planetary survival posed by nuclear weapons. Both the US and Russia retain huge arsenals, which both sides are working hard to modernize. Russia has begun to deploy some of these in forward positions and has threatened to use them against American allies, as well as against the United States. A growing number of other states, some of them hostile to the US, are acquiring significant arsenals of their own. Meanwhile, the process of nuclear proliferation has accelerated and increased the danger of nuclear war from miscalculation, accident or detonation by terrorists. At the same time, the United States, like the other nuclear superpower, is faced with serious environmental damage and substantial risks resulting from the production and storage of nuclear warheads and fuel over many decades. This course will examine the key decisions over the last 70 years by policy makers in the US that contributed to the creation of this dangerous situation, the contemporary consequences of their decisions, how the U.S. has employed diplomacy to avoid nuclear war and reduce its likelihood, and the prospects for the future. We will consider the options open to American decision makers in the past, the wisdom of and rationale for the choices they made, and the challenges they confront in the present.

Course Description: Main theories and theoretical traditions in the studies of international politics: realism, liberalism, constructivism, neo-Marxism, the English School, historical sociology, critical theory, feminism, green-politics, and international political theory. The course will survey both mainstream and critical approaches to the subject while examining key concepts and theoretical perspectives that are useful for making sense of contemporary debates and challenges in international politics.

Course Description: Y363/I300/H304 Comparative Foreign Policy: Why Nations Go to War?
Why did the United States get involved in Vietnam, and why did it stay in the war long after U.S. leaders knew we could not win? Why did the Soviets invade Afghanistan when they well knew that others' attempts to conquer that country had repeatedly failed? Why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union despite the fact that no outside power since the 15th century had succeeded in subduing Russia?
History and contemporary international relations are replete with examples of the risks, costs and difficulties of attacking and invading other states and intervening militarily in the politics and conflicts of others. This course will explore the question of why nations go to war when survival is not at stake. There will be many case studies, including some quite recent cases, but the focus will be on theories that help us understand this puzzling behavior on the part of states and those who determine or influence national policy. We will be examining the impact of individual leaders, their personal characteristics, beliefs, perceptions and misperceptions, as well as decision-making groups, government bureaucracies, national values and belief systems, and the nature and functioning of various kinds of political systems. A role-playing exercise at the end of the semester will give students an opportunity to simulate national decision-makers confronting the question of whether or not to use force.

Course Description: International organizations as lateral extensions of the Western State System, exercising influence in accordance with a variety of strategies. Strategies employed by the United Nations in the political and security area.

Course Description: No truly free market has ever existed or ever can exist. Production, investment, and exchange in the world economy is governed by politics, the process of determining how a society's resources are distributed. This process of rule-setting occurs at the subnational, national, and international levels and political power exists within and across each level. As these rules benefit some groups and harm others, bargaining occurs both within and between governments. Private sector agents -- such as firms, workers, farmers, and advocacy organizations -- both influence this process and respond to it. International political economy (IPE) is the subfield of political science that studies this system. Our broad objective is to apply central analytical tools that IPE scholars have developed to better understand how the interaction between politics and markets drives outcomes in the global economic system. We will focus our study on three interlocking systems: the global trading subsystem, the global financial subsystem, and the global development subsystem. We will consider how the global political economy has changed over time, and consider what future changes may be possible. In so doing, we will emphasize three forces that shape the politics of the global economy -- hierarchies, institutions, and interconnectedness -- and consider how interests, ideas, and history influence each of them.

Course Description: The course offers a close examination of some of the most important works and themes in classical political thought. It includes representative selections from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War, Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Politics, Cicero's On Duties, St. Augustine's City of God, and St. Thomas Aquinas's Summa. The class will also examine a major texts in non-Western thought (ancient China) by Confucius (The Analects) and Sun-Tzu (The Art of War). The course includes a wide variety of texts from five disciplines (political theory, philosophy, history, political science, and religion) It covers four major cultures, both western and non-western (ancient Greece, ancient Rome, early Christianity, and ancient China). The course will focus on key topics and concepts such as morality, power, laws and constitutions, civic virtue, statesmanship, just war, democracy, justice, freedom, and the problem of "dirty hands" in politics. Special attention will be paid to examining the context in which these authors wrote their works, the main concepts they used, and the implications of their ideas for our contemporary debates. The class will use a combination of lecture and discussions. The requirements include in-class mid-term and final exams, several quizzes, and class discussions on specific themes announced in the syllabus.

Course Description: "The wisdom of the Founders" has a touchstone for American political discourse. Republicans present their solutions to problems of today as being faithful to the intent of those who framed the Constitution and established our system of governance. Democrats do the same, albeit in defense of very different proposals. Given these differences it is hard to believe that both parties can claim to be honoring the intent of the Founders - unless the Founders themselves were divided on fundamental issues of politics. That is the claim we will explore in Y383, as we trace the evolution of American political thought from the early colonial period through the Founding era. Debates over independence, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, and the subsequent addition of a Bill of Rights are featured. Upon reviewing these debates it will become evident that the intentions of the Founders were many and varied, not singular and simple. Hence we should be wary of facile claims to be following in the footsteps of the Framers, as if they all walked the same path. We will also be reminded that the Framers themselves broke with long-established political traditions. They did not defer to ancestors, they invented a new political order to govern themselves.

Course Description: This course is designed to introduce students to the style of analytic thinking required for conducting research in the social sciences, the methods used in the conduct of empirical political science research, and the use of computational algorithms for analysis of social science data. To be blunt, this class should impart a set of skills that are crucial for understanding current research you will encounter in other political science classes, and enable you to produce high-quality research on your own. Beyond simply learning how to be a more critical participant in the public realm, by the end of the semester, you may also be better-prepared for career opportunities using quantitative methods. Students will be required to use R (a free program) to complete homework assignments. The aim of Y395 is to have students become experts in basic statistics capable of programming in modern statistical software. Suggested mathematical prerequisite: successful completion of high school algebra

Course Description: DEMOCRACY IN A GLOBAL AGE
This course focuses on a series of fundamental political questions. What is democracy, and how should we make sense of its core elements? Since those core elements were typically intended to be realized within individual nation-states, does globalization perhaps require us to reevaluate them? Does democracy, in other words, have to be updated to suit our increasingly "global age," where globalization processes limit the state's ability, in far-reaching ways, to control its own affairs? With democracy facing a populist backlash against "global elites," such questions seem more urgent than ever before. The fate of democracy may hang on our ability to answer them effectively. The course starts with a systematic introduction to competing theoretical views of democracy, with special attention paid to the ways in which those views rest on some obsolescent political and social premises. After examining globalization's demands on democracy, we consider possibilities for updating and/or improving democracy. Finally, we consider the reemergence of authoritarian and populist movements as responses to globalization and its challenges to existing democracy. Primarily about democracy and its standard theoretical underpinnings, and how globalization threatens them, the course draws on readings and other materials from a variety of scholarly fields.

Course Description: Political Psychology
In this class we will investigate how psychological theory helps us to understand how people act (and interact) in the political arena. We will start with basic concepts including attitudes, behavior, and cognition. We will discuss what these terms mean and how they interact to shape individual political experience. We will take some time to talk about applications of the experimental method to political phenomena. Focusing on the American political context we will discuss how citizens form opinions about issues and candidates and how they may be subject to persuasion by media outlets and political elites. We will also discuss how elite decision-makers, including judges and world leaders, structure their decision tasks to maximize the influence of "expert" knowledge and prevent certain biases. We will see that such efforts are not always successful and discuss what this means in terms of the larger political context in which they are acting. Finally, we will discuss how people come to identify as part of a larger "social group," how they interact based on those identities and the implications for political phenomena including racial and ethnic conflict. This class fulfills the intensive writing requirement. Students will be required to write 25-35 pages including weekly response papers and a final research project.

Course Description: "Economic Inequality and American Democracy"
"We can either have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."
--Louis Brandeis
U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1856-1941)
During the last three decades, American citizens have grown increasingly unequal in terms of income and wealth. Economic inequality is now greater than at any other point in the last hundred years, and it continues to escalate. The central question posed by this course is the implications of such vast economic inequality for American democracy. Can representative governance survive, in any meaningful way, amid such disparity between citizens? We shall examine this question by examining three major aspects of the American political system: political voice, governance, and public policy. Students will write four papers on various aspects of economic and political inequality as well as be responsible for active participation and leadership in seminar discussions.